


Stitches

by Rangergirl3



Series: Whumptober 2019 [11]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 17:46:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21257177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangergirl3/pseuds/Rangergirl3
Summary: Keith is not very good at taking care of himself.Set a few days after the Trials of Marmora.





	Stitches

**Author's Note:**

> Poor-sickies: Hmm what about stitches for Keith? You have the Marmora situation in his shoulder, if you haven't written that already, that's a great one I never get tired of reading! Or maybe one with the wound reopening in the days after (because Keith isn't one to stay still and rest it!)?

Lance's footsteps pounded along the hallway. 

"Hey, Mullet! Wait up!"

But Keith didn't slow down, or even turn around. If anything, he might have started to walk faster.

Lance put on an extra burst of speed, finally coming alongside the Red Paladin.

"_Geez_, Keith," he panted, trying to slow to a walk, "-didn't you hear me calling you?"

Keith shook his head, but didn't answer.

Lance gulped. 

"Yeah," he wheezed. "Guess you had a lot of stuff on your mind?"

Keith shrugged. 

Lance waved a hand. 

"Okay, sure, uh, so, you're part-alien. That's....I mean, it -"

Keith halted in his tracks, turned around, and glared back at Lance.

"It _what_?" he demanded. "It makes _sense_, now, why I'm angry all of the time?"

Lance blinked, stunned by Keith's reaction. He opened his mouth to reply, but Keith continued, his fists clenched at his sides, his shoulders tight with tension. 

"It _explains_ why I couldn't make friends back at Garrison, like _normal_ people did? Is that what this is about?"

Lance closed his mouth, then opened it again. 

"Uh - no - but -"

"-Or this just another reason for you to -"

Lance held up both of his hands in a placating gesture.

"Whoa, whoa, Keith. Dude. I just - I noticed you were holding your shoulder during the meeting."

Keith's glare did not lessen in the slightest.

"And what about it?"

Inwardly, Lance leaned away from Keith. _Geez_, the Red Paladin was on edge today.

_Then again...it had been a long couple of days for him._

Come to think of it, Allura had barely spoken to the Red Paladin ever since she'd found out about his Galra heritage.

* * *

Keith saw it when Lance reigned his temper back. It was something about the way Lance's jaw tightened. 

All the same, Keith mentally braced himself for some kind of cutting remark.

When Lance spoke, it was in a somewhat subdued tone of voice, as if he were trying his best not to further the confrontation.

"I just wanted to ask you how your shoulder was doing."

Lance glanced back at Keith's face, and he appeared genuinely concerned.

"I figured - maybe you'd pulled some of your stitches out, or something, and - uh, well, what with Allura being...insanely mean right now, maybe I could...like, help you? If you wanted?"

* * *

Lance saw it when Keith's stance altered. It went from angry to ashamed in less than half a second. It was something about the way Keith's shoulders lost their tension.

"...oh."

Keith turned his glare onto the floor, but even that was less fierce than it had been a moment before.

Lance shrugged a shoulder, then made a joke in a gentle attempt to alleviate Keith's embarrassment.

"I mean, they don't call me the tailor for nothing," he said. He grinned when Keith glanced back up at him, to show that he'd made the quip without malice.

Keith shrugged his good shoulder. "I guess...uh, I might have..." 

Lance flapped a hand good-naturedly. "Dude, believe me when I say that it's insanely frustrating to have that happen."

Keith looked at him side-long as they began walking down the hall again.

"You've done this before? Torn your stitches out, I mean?"

Lance wiggled a hand in a 'sort of? maybe?' gesture. 

"Not exactly...? I mean, it's a long story - see, it was like this -"

They rounded the corner together.


End file.
